NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The National Fried Chicken Festival (FCF) presented by Raising Cane’s has announced its highly-anticipated list of local and national restaurants set to participate in the fifth annual event on October 1 – 2 at its new home along the New Orleans Lakefront.
After a two-year hiatus, FCF is set to return with one of its most impressive food lineups to date, with returning local favorites and previous year’s award-winners, including Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken and Southerns, and nationally-renowned restaurants like Josephine’s Kitchen from Mississippi, Pollo from Kentucky, Stuff’d from Texas, KOK Wings & Things from Lafayette, and more. With 35+ participating restaurants, FCF 2022 is proud to be featuring a diverse range of offerings, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options, so everyone is able to come out and enjoy the beloved Southern dish.
A taste of this year’s menu includes never-before-seen items like boudin stuffed fried chicken, bang bang chicken bao, deep-fried buffalo chicken egg rolls, fried jalapeño drummers, matcha fried chicken, vegan chicken wings, and many more.
“We founded this festival to bring people of backgrounds together under the simple premise that ‘everybody loves fried chicken, while providing a platform for diverse, small independently owned restaurants,’ and this year’s restaurant lineup is reflective of that,” said Cleveland Spears, III, FCF organizer and President/CEO of the Spears Group. “FCF 2022 will truly feature something for everyone, with some of the most diverse, unique, and unexpected menu items our guests can’t find anywhere else.”
Restaurants will compete for bragging rights in the festival’s two highly coveted tasting contests, “Best Fried Chicken” and “Best Use of Fried Chicken in a Dish” judged by a distinguished panel of judges comprised of food critics, restaurateurs, members of the press, and more.
FCF 2022 is made possible thanks to the generous support of festival sponsors, including Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Heinz, New Orleans Tourism and Culture Fund, AT&T, Crown Royal, New Orleans & Company, Capital One Bank, Rouses Markets, Delgado Community College, Chandon, Louisiana Lottery, and Lakefront Management Authority, as well as media partners WWL-TV, The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com, OUTFRONT MEDIA, iHeart Media, WBOK 1230am, and Where Y’at.
The National Fried Chicken Festival Presented by Raising Cane’s is produced by the Spears Group and Festivals for Good.
To view the full FCF 2022 restaurant lineup and menus, visit friedchickenfestival.com/restaurants.
For more information or to get tickets, visit friedchickenfestival.com.
